Category Famous Personalities

            Indians dreamt of a free nation. But the Simon Commission instigated a difference of opinion among Indians regarding self-government.

            Only Gandhiji was capable of mending this gap. Despite the fact that Indians were suspicious of the intentions of the British, they were unified in their desire for the making of a free India. Thus, the Congress decided to celebrate the Purna Swaraj declaration, or the announcement of the Indian Independence. Gandhiji hoisted the Indian flag on 31st December 1929, in Lahore.

            The Indian flag was hoisted publicly everywhere by the congress volunteers. People were asked to celebrate Independence Day on 26th January.

            Gandhiji and other Indian leaders began to plan for a massive non-violent campaign to encourage the common people to embrace peace, even if they were attacked by the British. 

            Everywhere, the Simon Commission was received by angry protesters waving black flags and shouting the slogan, ‘Simon Go Back!’ The conditions in Punjab were even worse, where Lala Lajpat Rai, the prominent leader, died during the protests.

            Simon Commission had arrived in Lahore on 30th October 1928 and the protest there was headed by Lala Lajpat Rai. He had risen to fame through his resolution against the Commission in the Legislative Assembly of Punjab in February 1928. In order to make way for the Commission, the local police force began to beat protesters in which Lala Lajpat Rai was killed. This made the Commission even more infamous.

               The commission published its two volume report in May 1930. But the report was not accepted by the Indians. 

            The British Government decided that a commission should be sent to India to examine the effects and operations of the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms and also to suggest more reforms in India. The commission was a group of seven Members of Parliament of the United Kingdom, under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon, assisted by Clement Attlee.

            The Simon Commission arrived India, in 1928. They came to study the constitutional reforms in India, but the Indian political parties were completely ignored in this process. They were neither approached, nor asked to participate in the discussions.

            The Indians felt insulted and took a decision to boycott the Simon Commission. This decision was taken at the meeting of the Indian National Congress in Madras.

           They also challenged Lord Birkenhead, the Secretary of State for India, to draft a constitution that would be satisfactory to the Indian masses.

            Gandhiji was frustrated by the approach of the Simon Commission towards Indians. 

          The British authorities were worried about the consequences of arresting Gandhiji. However, when the unhappy incident occurred at Chauri Chaura, they seized the opportunity to arrest him. Gandhiji was taken into custody in the evening of March 10th, 1922 from his ashram. He was accused of revolting against the government and was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.

          Gandhiji spent his prison days in a fruitful way. He got acquainted with many books, and he found time also to spin his charka. Some of the books that dominated his reading time were Bernard Shaw’s ‘Man and Superman’, Buckle’s ‘History of Civilization in England’, H. G. Wells’ ‘Outline of History’, Goethe’s ‘Faust’ and Kipling’s ‘The Barrack-Room Ballads’.

          His interest in literary studies that had been neglected due to his busy schedule was revived during these prison days. He was released in 1924 for an operation for severe appendicitis. 

            The Chauri Chaura incident is a black mark in the pages of Indian history. This happened on 5th February 1922. On this day, a large group of peaceful protesters participating in a procession had an encounter with the police, who opened fire.

            Combat broke out between the police and the mob. Then, the demonstrators set fire to a police station in Chauri Chaura, killing all of its occupants. This incident led to the deaths of three civilians and 22 policemen. Gandhiji was dis-heartened by this incident and halted the non-cooperation movement on the national level.

            On the other hand, British declared a martial law in response to the incident. Numerous raids were conducted and hundreds of people were arrested. Gandhi went on a fast for five days after this incident. Thus, Chauri Chaura became a backlash for the Indian way of peaceful resistance.

          The Swadeshi policy was part and parcel of non-cooperation movement. Gandhiji urged people to boycott British goods and to throw their foreign clothes into the fire. Gathering at crossroads, people burnt their imported clothes. They picketed the shops selling western goods. People took firm decisions like using only goods made in India and this was famously called the Swadeshi movement.

          Gandhiji always wanted Indians to spin their clothes by themselves. He promoted Khadi products as an alternative to British made clothes. Every day Gandhiji would spin 182 metres of yarn. He would never take rest without completing his daily chores. He perceived the spinning wheel as a symbol of liberation. It was common in the congress meetings and also wherever nationalists gathered. The spinning wheel was viewed as one of Gandhiji’s efforts to revive village economy, and to help the village folk to come out of their poverty.